Ivanka Trump 'greeted with half empty-room' while giving Tokyo speech on women's empowerment

Officials reportedly blamed stringent security measures for rows of vacant seats

Ivanka Trump was reportedly greeted with an underwhelming turnout as she delivered a speech on women's empowerment in Tokyo.

The US President's daughter was speaking at a conference on women's advancement in the Japanese capital.

But people there claimed the auditorium was half-empty as she outlined her zero-tolerance stance on sexual harassment in the workplace.

Officials reportedly blamed stringent security measures that meant not everybody was able to access the hall.

But one eyewitness told The Guardian they entered the room as the doors were closing and just a handful of people were waiting outside.

Ms Trump was speaking amid a growing sexual harassment scandal in Hollywood and other industries in the US.

"All too often, our workplace culture fails to treat women with appropriate respect," she told the crowd. "This takes many forms, including harassment, which can never be tolerated."

Her remarks come a year after her father was heard boasting in a leaked recording: “When you’re a star, they let you do it,” he said. “Grab them by the p***y. You can do anything.”

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe acknowledged that men think they have set the rules and tend to "think inside the box" and he feels "a pain in the heart" as he reflects on his own mindset.

"I believe women have a power to break the wall of 'common sense' set by men and pioneer a new era," he told the conference, adding that women have the chance to create businesses from a unique perspective.

Mr Trump will start his first official Asia tour in Japan on Sunday. He is expected to play golf, talk to Mr Abe and meet Emperor Akihito and relatives of people abducted by North Korea.

Additional reporting by agencies